THE government is to re-examine the case for paying chest disease compensation to ex-miners who worked at the pit surface.

This could give hope to the thousands of former miners in Wales - and an estimated 2,000 in Gwent - who, up until now, have not been eligible for respiratory disease compensation because they worked only on the surface of mines, rather than underground.

Mining union Nacods, which won the battle for chest disease compensation in the High Court in 1998, has campaigned for compensation also to be paid to men who worked in dusty conditions above ground, saying they are being treated unfairly.

The Argus, which has fought a campaign lasting more than five years for justice for the miners, supported that call.

Now the coal health minister, Nigel Griffiths, has said in the House of Commons that he will review the surface workers' situation.

He said, during Parliamentary Questions this week, that following a meeting with Islwyn MP Don Touhig he had given an undertaking to "re-examine the position".

Mr Touhig, who chairs the group monitoring miners' compensation in Wales, said: "I have taken this issue up on behalf of many miners and their families and I am pleased that Nigel Griffiths has agreed to my request to re-examine the government's position.

"This will be welcomed by many surface workers and their families."

He added the government had always said it would consider such a scheme if a case could be made for it.

"I hope we can find a way to overcome obstacles and get a good outcome for the people affected."

Nacods secretary Bleddyn Hancock said he was pleased the minister was going to look at the issue again - and hoped the government would now accept liability for surface workers who worked in dusty conditions.

"At present a man who worked ten years on the surface and ten years underground gets paid for the whole period.

"But those who worked only on the surface, the government has refused to compensate," he said. "It is wrong that these men have missed out on payments.

"There are probably a few thousand in Wales."